Power Of One: Cub Of Their Hearts
by Kanaydian Dragon
Summary: This is the first story in my series; Power of One. Its about how one life can change the lives of those around her. In this story, a young elf girl enters the lives of the Wolfriders.


CUB OF THEIR HEARTS 

None of the characters are mine, except for Two-Moons. All the rest belong to their creators, Wendy and Richard Pini. 

Words contained within # # are mental speech since doesn't like showing the stars I prefer to use. 

Takes place 37 years before Fire and Flight. A new elf finds her way into the Wolfrider tribe. This is the first in a series of stories to come. At this point the entire series has been about 1/3 to 1/2 written, but is still in the process of being typed up and proof-read.

* * *

For elf cubs, life usually began when they wre born. Taking their first breaths, wailing their first cries, having their first suckle at their mother's breast... But life didn't always go according to any set plan, especially if you were a Wolfrider cub. For one such cub, just six turns of the seasons old, her life would begin - or begin again, depending on how one might choose to view the situation - at this tender age. 

Two-Moons's tribe, excluding her mother and herself, had all been slaughtered by vicious mountain trolls in one swift attack. The wolf pack which had co-existed with the elf tribe had also suffered a huge loss. Thankfully, not a complete loss, if it was an event truly worthy of the word 'thankful.' Though Spiritsong's own wolf friend, Howler, had been among those who'd died, another wolf named Mud Sparrow - her deceased lifemate's mount - had survived. He'd become their companion for a months-long journey began in the hopes of finding others of their kind. More specifically, the Wolfrider tribe that Spiritsong's tribe had broken away from a long time ago (7,000 turns of the seasons if they had been counted). Two-Spear, leader of the entire tribe at the time, had lost his chieftainship to his sister, Huntress Skyfire. Two-Spear had been banished from the tribe, taking with him those elves that had remained loyal to him despite his loss. Since then, there had been no contact between the two tribes. 

There was no guarantee they would find the other tribe, though. They could have moved to another home or been killed off by something. It was also a possibility that Spiritsong would be unable to find the father tree of the ancestors. All she had to go on were directions passed down through stories and howls. Still, Spiritsong had hope that they would find the elves. Hope was all they had, all that kept them going at times. 

At some point within the latter half of the trio's journey, Two-Moons - who had been silent ever since the loss of the tribe and the wolf pack - had fallen sick with a fever that had slowly drained her of her strength. It would have other consequences as well, consequences which - as of the beginning of this story - were on the verge of being revealed...

* * *

"Poor cub, she's been through so much already." 

"Yes. To have come so far only to lose her mother." 

Two-Moons stirred lightly. She frowned, wondering who the voices belonged to and who they were talking about. Why couldn't she see them? Was it night time? But she should still be able to see what was going on around her even then, shouldn't she? 

A slight weight she hadn't realized was there was lifted away from her head to be replaced moments later by something damp and cool. It felt nice to her heated skin and she stopped trying to move so she could focus on enjoying it. 

"Will she wake up now, Rain?" 

Rain? That wet stuff that fell from the sky? 

"No. She's close, true, but still too sick and weak." 

"She will... live, won't she?" 

"Yes, she'll live. I can guarantee that much, at least." 

Two-Moons fell back asleep, missing whatever else was said next. 

For the following eight-of-days, Two-Moons would wake in a similar manner - never fully waking, never seeing those who cared for her. Elves spoke both to her and about her and she soon began to recognize individual voices. One voice in particular she decided that she liked more than the others, the one called Eyes High. There was just something about Eyes High that called to Two-Moons's young spirit. 

Another elf - Shale - seemed connected to Eyes High in some way and Two-Moons grew to like his voice as well. Even Rain, who seemed to be around more than any other elf, found a place in Two-Moons's heart. But Eyes High was her favourite and she could barely wait to open her eyes so she could meet her. 

But Two-Moons's eyes would remain stubbornly closed until the eighth day of her recovery. When she woke, there was so slow rise to consciousness. Instead, her eyes just opened and she was wide awake. 

Two-Moons yawned and stretched, then scratched a few itches. Her limbs felt weak but she still had a fair amount of control over them and, after a few tries, managed to get herself into a sitting position. From this new point of view it was easier to see her surroundings. There were some decorations on the walls, drying plants hanging overhead, another pile of sleeping furs that contained an unfamiliar elf. Only the back of his head was visible. She might have gone for a closer look at this elf but her attention was pulled away by the opening on the other side of the den. Sunlight was shining in just inside the opening. 

A need to investigate arose within the cub and she stumbled out of the sleeping furs. Tumbled, more like. Her legs were almost as shaky as a newly born fawn's when she tried to stand. With nothing to cling to or help support her, she ended up crawling over to the entrance. There, she was able to pull herself upright and lean against the side wall. Slowly, carefyully, she moved down the steps and outside the tree den into the fresh air. 

Eyes High, the only elf awake at the time - save for Strongbow, who was on watch a short distance from the holt - was sitting in one of the lower branches of the father tree, enjoying the cool breeze of the morning when Two-Moons made her first foray from the healer's den. Eyes High was a light-spirited elf with long, curly blond hair, blue eyes, and a penchant for high places. 

At first, Eyes High could only watch in surprise as the little flame-haired cub walked from the father tree on unsteady legs, heading directly toward the little stream which flowed close by. It rendered Eyes High speechless to see Two-Moons outside on her own when just yesterday she had looked close to death. 

Two-Moons tripped a few feet from the stream, falling forward onto her hands and knees. Eyes High sat forward in alarm and was prepared to swing down from her perch to help the cub but managed to stop herself before the urge took full hold of her. It was only a minor fall and, anyways, Two-Moons was already moving again. Her attempts to stand were a bit comical - not that Eyes High would have dared laugh at the cub in any case - and after one final attempt, during which she landed on her behind, she crawled the rest of the short way to her destination. 

Two-Moons felt proud at having gotten as far as she had, even though she hadn't managed to stay up on her feet the entire way. She sat on the edge of the stream and let her feet dangle in the water. It was nice here, she thought to herself. She couldn't remember seeing it before but she thought it was nice here and maybe she'd just sit and enjoy things for a while before someone began to look for her. 

Eyes High continued to watch from above as Two-Moons leaned forward and cupped her hands together in the water, then raised her hands to take a drink. Her movements were a little uncoordinated and very little of the water actually reached her lips. She pulled her feet from the water and shifted until she was kneeling with her hands on the short rocky patch of ground next to the water. She started to lower her head to the water's surface when her hands slipped on the wet rocks and she tumbled head first into the water. 

Two-Moons flailed beneath the surface of the water for a long, terrifying moment, trying and failing to gain her feet to stand. Suddenly two hands plunged into the water, grabbed a wrist and a fistful of shirt, then hauled her body out of the water. 

Coughing and sputtering and dripping wet, Two-Moons stared in stunned surprise at her rescuer. The woman was unfamiliar to her, but then so was everything else she'd seen so far. 

After a brief hesitation, Eyes High pulled the water-soaked cub to her chest and hugged her tightly. Two-Moons began to struggle within the embrace. 

"Easy, cub, easy," Eyes High soothed as she loosened her hold. 

Two-Moons put her hands on Eyes High's shoulders and pushed back as far as she could. Eyes High kept her hands against Two-Moons's back to prevent her from escaping or falling backward into the stream. 

"No one wil hurt you here, little one. They've all been waiting for you to wake up so they could meet you." 

Two-Moons stopped trying to push away from Eyes High, her arms becoming suddenly relaxed. Eyes High waited as the girl's eyes searched her face, wondering what she was looking for. Whatever it was, Two-Moons seemed to find it as she smiled and enthusiastically wrapped her arms around Eyes High's neck and hugged her as tightly as her diminished strength would allow. 

Eyes High easily accepted the change of heart and returned the hug, though couldn't help wondering what had caused it. Smiling gently, she rose from the ground with Two-Moons still in her arms. "Let's go get you dried off."

* * *

It wasn't until the night had come that it was discovered that Two-Moons had no voice to speak with. 

"Oh, Rain, is there nothing you can do for her?" Joyleaf asked. Joyleaf was the lifemate to the chief of the Wolfriders, named Bearclaw. Where his looks were dark, hers were just the opposite. 

The entire tribe had assembled at dusk a short time earlier, all wanting to meet Two-Moons now that she was awake. 

When invited to speak, Two-Moons had honestly tried hard to say something, anything at all, but no words had been made in her throat for the others to hear. Sitting in Eyes High's lap, Two-Moons had turned her head to look back over her shoulder at the adult female. She felt worried over her inability to speak - in either way that there was for elves - and couldn't help wondering what it might mean for her. 

These elves, this place, it was all Two-Moons know. She couldn't recall any memories of before here, her memories only went as far back as those voices she'd heard during the past eight-of-days when she'd surfaced close enough to conciousness to hear them. 

Eyes High nuzzled the top of Two-Moons's head in an attempt to reassure her. 

"I'm afraid there's nothing I can do. I can't restore her voice," Rain replied, sounding honestly regretful. 

"What about sending?" Shale asked. He placed an arm across Two-Moons's waist next to Eyes High's. Shale was Eye's High's lifemate and Rain's son - one of two, Pike being the other. Shale's other arm curved around Eyes High's shoulders, embracing both maiden and cub. Shale had white hair that came to just past his shoulders. 

Rain didn't answer right away. Instead, to give himself time to gather his thoughts, he went over to the branch horn leg from last night's kill that was serving as the tribe's group meal tonight. He used his knife to shave off a small, thin slice and walked back over to stand in front of the small group of Shale, Eyes High and Two-Moons. He knelt down and extended his had to offer the meat to the young cub. 

Two-Moons, feeling quite hungry, did not hesitate to accept the offered meat and immediately bit into it. Not until she had chewed and swallowed that first bite did Rain rise back to his full height and turn to address the rest of the tribe. 

"She can't send now, that much is true. But it is also true that she can hear sendings just as clearly as if we were speaking to her. She is also young enough that her training in sending would have not been completed, possibly just recently started. It is my hope that, in time, she will be able to send again." 

Rain's words seemed to relax the majority of the tribe. 

"But until then we must be patient with Two-Moons. She will need much attention for a while as she learns to communicate in her own way about her wants and needs. It might help if everyone tries to remember to sending to her most of the time. It could encourage a spontaneous send of her own. Once that happens, it should hopefully be easy to build up her sending skills from that point on." 

Hopefull news, not that Two-Moons herself seemed to take much notice. She was still eating her meat, conforted by the touches of Eyes High and Shale. The calm attitude of the group as a whole was also a big help. Although not being able to talk had frightened her at first, with the resiliency that could only be possessed by the very young, she was already starting to accept it and move on. She soon finished her meat and licked her fingers clean. 

While the meat had been good, it hadn't been enough to sate her appetite and she wanted more. Since Rain had already fed her once, Two-Moons thought that he might do so again and decided to get his attention Since his back was to her but still fairly close, she leaned forward in Eyes High's lap and tapped Rain's back. 

Rain turned and lowered himself until he was again at eye level with Two-Moons. He knw she wanted more meat, had purposely given her a small portion that would leave her hungry enough to ask for more to eat. He wanted to see how she handled communcation problems right off. 

#You want something, cub?# Rain asked, leaving the send open for all to hear. 

Two-Moons nodded and pointed to the severed branch horn leg. Rain looked over his shoulder and pretended to look around as if he didn't understand what she was trying to tell him. 

#I'm not sure,# he sent, turning back to look at Two-Moons again. #Can you show me?# 

Two-Moons pointed to the knife sheathed at Rain's side, the one he'd used to cut the meat with, then she pointed back to the branch horn meat again. 

#Sorry, cub,# Rain sent, shaking his head, #I'm still not sure what you mean.# He felt many pairs of eyes on him but paid them no heed. He knew that getting Two-Moons to be clear on her messages now would make things less frustrating for her later on. Especially if it took a long time for her sending power to resurface... or in the case that it never did. 

Two-Moons slid off Eyes High's lap and took Rain's hand in her own. She led him, tugging on his hand gently, to where the meat lay. She pointed to the meat with her free hand, then to herself as she looked up at Rain. Without waiting for him to speak, she touched a finger to the hilt of his knife, then Rain's hand that covered her other one, then pointed to the meat and herself again in that order. Clearly she thought that he needed the extra instruction. Rain struggled to hide his smile, a task made slightly more difficult by the sounds of stifled laughter coming from soem of the other elves. 

#So you want me to cut some more meat for you, then?# Rain asked. 

Two-Moons nodded and released Rain's hand, looking up at him expectantly. 

Rain obligingly cut her another slice, one arger than the first, and handed it to her. She accepted it and started to take a bit but stopped with the meat oly half way to her mouth. Rain was surprised when Two-Moons gave him a one-armed hug around his waist. He recovered quickly and stroked the top of her head a few times before she pulled away and wandered back over to where eyes High and Shale sat. Rain watched her stride, thinking that it was already much improved from the early morning. He'd seen through Eyes High's mind the first stumbling steps that the cub had taken outside the father tree. 

Figuring that Rain was now finished, Bearclaw signalled the beginning of the night's first meal by going to carve a hunk of meat for himself. Normally none would be served before Bearclaw - it was the custom for the leader of the tribe to eat first, except when a pregnant female was around - but he had given Rain permission through sending to do as he wished in this matter. Cubs were quite important tot he tribe, so it didn't matter to him to break from tradition for this special occasion.

* * *

"Mo-om! She's missing." Crescent's voice called both her parents from their sleep. 

"What?" Moonshade asked groggily, sitting up slowly. "Who's... Two-Moons?" She came suddenly awake, looking around the den almost as if she expected to see the young cub. 

"Yeah. I just woke up and she wasn't here," Crescent replied, sounding only a little worried. If Two-Moons had wandered away from the Wolfriders' territory, the humans could easily capture her. She was too young to be able to effectively fight back. 

Moonshade's quiet lifemate, Strongbow, was already up and getting dressed. They'd have to get the others up and searching right away if Two-Moons was not somewhere else within the father tree, or nearby if she was outside. 

Moonshade took it upon herself to send to the others over Two-Moons's dissappearance. A few tense moments of silence passed as elves woke and searched their dens before responses started coming back. 

#She's here.# The send came from Eyes High. 

#She must have crawled in with us some time during the day.# Shale's send directly followed Eyes High's. 

Moonshade breathed a sigh of relief. How had the little imp managed to sneak out without alerting any of the three of them? Especially Strongbow, who's senses were more finely tuned than most other elves. Only Bearclaw was clearly better than the silent archer whom she loved so much. 

Why would Two-Moons leave one den for another? Maybe because she'd had a bad dream and had instinctively sought familiar surroundings? Two-Moons had left Rain's den the day she had opened her eyes - four days ago now - and since then had slept in Eyes High and Shale's den. Last night she had fallen asleep in Moonshade's arms and Moonshade had naturally carried the cub back to her own den and tucked her in with Crescent, Moonshade and Strongbow's girl cub who was seven turns of the seasons older than Two-Moons. 

The reason behind Two-Moons's change of dens would remain unclear until it happened a few more times. No matter which den she would go to sleep in, she would always end up with Shale and Eyes High before anyone woke the following night. 

Bearclaw quickly became irritated with these panicked sendings that either woke him from a sound sleep or else interrupted him and Joyleaf while in the middle of a lovemating. After several such incidents, he declared that Eyes High and Shale would parent the cub and she would not be sent to another den for sleep until she was a few turns older. Maybe by then she would no longer feel the need to switch dens while others slept. She clearly preferred to be in Shale and Eyes' High's den, as well as with the lifemated pair themselves. 

So while Two-Moons was not the cub of Shale and Eyes High's bodies, she quickly became the cub of their hearts.

* * *


End file.
